UNITED NATIONS, Sept 7, 2007 (AFP) - The head of the UN mission in Liberia on Friday cited 'considerable progress' in the West African country as he outlined a three-year drawdown of the UN contingent there from next month.

The visiting head of the UN mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Alan Doss, gave details of his briefing to the Security Council Thursday on plans to cut the current 14,000 UN troops to 9,000 and the police presence from almost 1,200 to less than 750.

MONROVIA, Sept 7, 2007 (AFP) - The head of the UN mission in Liberia on Friday cited 'considerable progress' in the west African country as he outlined a planned three-year drawdown of the UN contingent there from next month.

The visiting head of the UN mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Alan Doss, gave details of his briefing to the Security Council Thursday on plans to cut the current 14,000-strong UN troop contingent to 9,000 and the police presence from almost 1,200 to less than 750.

ABIDJAN, Aug 23, 2007 (AFP) - Alleged victims of sexual abuse by Moroccan peacekeepers in Ivory Coast are not co-operating with investigators, head of the United Nations mission in the country said Thursday.

A joint team of UN and Moroccan investigators 'sent to Bouake has come up against some difficulties, including lack of cooperation from the concerned persons,' said Abou Moussa.

'The alleged victims have not come to testify,' he told a news conference, adding the probe will nonetheless continue.

MONROVIA, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - The United Nations is planning to slash the size of its peacekeeping force in Liberia by a third over the next three years, the UN chief said in a report obtained by AFP Friday.

The progress report from Ban Ki-moon said the UN planned by 2010 to reduce the current 14,000-strong force to 9,000 while the police presence would be scaled back from almost 1,200 to less than 750.

DJEBONOUA, Ivory Coast, Aug 8, 2007 (AFP) - As Moroccan peacekeepers are confined to their barracks in northern Ivory Coast pending a UN probe into sex abuse claims, proof is emerging that soldiers breached the code of conduct.

A full investigation has been launched both in Ivory Coast and at United Nations headquarters into the allegations centering on a 732-strong Moroccan contingent based in Bouake, the capital of the rebel zone of the country, split in half since a 2002 rebellion.

BOUAKE, Ivory Coast, Aug 6, 2007 (AFP) - A joint mission by UN and Moroccan officials is probing allegations of sexual abuse by Moroccan peacekeepers in Ivory Coast, amid mixed feelings among local people about their behaviour.

A full probe has been launched both in Ivory Coast and at United Nations headquarters into the allegations, which centre on a 732-strong Moroccan contingent based in Bouake, the capital of the rebel zone of the country, split in half since a 2002 rebellion.

DUSHANBE, July 31, 2007 (AFP) - A United Nations peace mission in Tajikistan ended with a flag-lowering ceremony on Tuesday, 10 years after the end of a civil war that devastated this Central Asian state.

'The UN was always with the Tajik people for the restoration of peace and stability in the country,' the head of the mission Vladimir Sotirov said at the ceremony in the capital Dushanbe.

ABIDJAN, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - A joint mission by UN and Moroccan authorities is due next week in Ivory Coast to probe allegations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers in the west African nation's north, the UN said Thursday.

'A joint UN/Moroccan mission is scheduled to arrive in Ivory Coast next week to widen the probe,' said Hamadoun Toure, spokesman for the UN mission in Ivory Coast, or ONUCI.

'The investigation will be wound up very soon,' he said, stressing that there would be 'zero tolerance' for any such acts.

ABIDJAN, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast confirmed it was investigating cases of sexual abuse of Ivorian women, including young girls, by some Moroccan soldiers.

'There was an internal investigation which proved the facts, but we are waiting the results of the full investigation led by our internal affairs services, which will confirm the facts,' UN spokeswoman Margarita Amodeo told AFP.

'There are minors among the victims concerned,' she said.

ABIDJAN, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast on Monday confirmed that some of its troops from Morocco sexually abused underaged girls in the west African country.

'There was an internal investigation which proved the facts. There are minors among the victims concerned,' a UN spokeswoman Margarita Amodeo told AFP.

The United Nations at the weekend suspended a Moroccan peacekeeping unit based in Ivory Coast after an internal probe into allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by some of its soldiers.